Benefit Calculation Examples for Workers Retiring in 2015

We illustrate the calculation of retirement benefits using two examples, labeled
case A and case B. In each case, the worker retires in 2015.
Case A, born in 1953, retires at age 62. Case B, born in 1949, retires at his
normal (or full) retirement age.
In each case, we assume the worker has covered earnings from 1975 through
2014, as shown at right in columns labeled "nominal earnings."

Indexing brings nominal earnings up to near-current wage levels. For each case,
the table shows columns of earnings before and after indexing. Between these
columns is a column showing the indexing
factors. A factor will always equal one for the year in which the person
attains age 60 and all later years. The indexing factor for a prior year
Y is the result of dividing the average wage
index for the year in which the person attains age 60 by the average wage
index for year Y. For example, the case-A indexing factor for 1975
is the average wage for 2013 ($44,888.16) divided by the average wage for
1975 ($8,630.92).

We use the highest 35 years of indexed earnings in a benefit computation.
The dropped indexed amounts are shown in red. Below the indexed
earnings are the sums for the highest 35 years of indexed earnings and
the corresponding average monthly amounts of such earnings.
(The average is the result of dividing the sum of the 35 highest
amounts by the number of months in 35 years.) Such an average
is called an "average indexed monthly earnings" (AIME).
The next step is to calculate
benefits based on AIME amounts.

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